Carrier – Second Opinion

I went into Carrier thinking that the only thing that would separate it from all the Resident Evil clones on the market was the fact that Jaleco had dropped the prerendered backgrounds so common in the genre in favor of completely 3D environments. Yet, like Chi, I was pleasantly surprised to find a game with just enough strengths to help it hold its own against the competition. I actually found myself getting into the story—a rarity with most of the Resident Evil clones, as well as the Resident Evil series itself. Moreover, I was drawn further into the game by its refreshingly sensible puzzles and objectives. These areas (as well as the dreadful voice dubbing) have always managed to lower the survival horror series in my eyes, so in that regard, Carrier is a winner.

Unfortunately, there is one problem with Carrier that lowered its score, and that was its lack of originality. At far too many points in the game, I felt like I had played it all before. Such a feeling of déjà vu robs Carrier of some personality. And with its release so close in proximity to that of Capcom's upcoming Resident Evil sequel, Code: Veronica, I believe Carrier will be overlooked. Nevertheless, any sensible person who plays Carrier will notice that their expectations for the predestined king of the survival horror genre will have been raised. Carrier's release is by no means a sign of a changing of the guard, but it is a sign that Capcom finally has some competition. Hopefully Jaleco can come back with a sequel that corrects the issues in Carrier and garner more attention to this potential laden series. Rating: 8.0 out of 10